A Study in Pink 

War vet Dr. John Watson returns to London in need of a place to stay. He meets Sherlock Holmes, a consulting detective, and the two soon find themselves digging into a string of serial "suicides."

Director:

Paul McGuigan

Writers:

Steven Moffat, Arthur Conan Doyle (based on the works of) (as Sir Arthur Conan Doyle)

Stars:

Benedict Cumberbatch, Martin Freeman, Rupert Graves

Cast

Episode cast overview, first billed only:
Benedict Cumberbatch	...	Sherlock Holmes
Martin Freeman	...	Dr. John Watson
Rupert Graves	...	DI Lestrade
Una Stubbs	...	Mrs. Hudson
Louise Brealey	...	Molly Hooper
Vinette Robinson	...	Sgt Sally Donovan
Tanya Moodie	...	Ella
Siobhan Hewlett	...	Helen (as Siobhán Hewlett)
William Scott-Masson	...	Sir Jeffrey Patterson
Victoria Wicks	...	Margaret Patterson
Sean Joseph Young	...	Gary (as Sean Young)
James Duncan	...	Jimmy
Ruth Everett	...	Political Aide
Syrus Lowe	...	Political Aide
Katy Maw	...	Beth Davenport

Storyline

Wounded in Afghanistan while in the Army, Dr. John Watson returns to contemporary London and, through a mutual acquaintance, becomes a flatmate at Mrs. Hudson's 221B Baker Street apartment with brilliant if eccentric private investigator Sherlock Holmes. There have been three identical apparent suicides, and Inspector Lestrade asks for Sherlock's intervention over the fourth, the suspicious death of Jennifer Wilson. As she lay dying she wrote 'Rache' upon the floor and Sherlock deduces that this is not just the incomplete name of her stillborn daughter "Rachel" of many years earlier but the password of her mobile phone. This leads Sherlock to confront a terminally ill serial killer who slays people, in part, to show superiority over the rest of society, and who is determined to make Sherlock his next victim.

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Plot Keywords:

suicide | serial suicides | serial killer | consulting detective | mobile phone | 

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Genres:

Crime | Drama | Mystery | Thriller

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Certificate:

TV-14

Details

Country:

UK

Language:

English

Release Date:

24 October 2010 (USA)

Filming Locations:

St. Bartholomew's Hospital, London, England, UK

Company Credits

Production Co:

Hartswood Films, BBC Wales, Masterpiece Theatre

Technical Specs

Runtime:

88 min

Sound Mix:

Dolby Digital

Color:

Color

Aspect Ratio:

1.78 : 1

Did You Know?

Trivia

Sherlock messages from John's phone "If brother has green ladder arrest brother. SH". It is solution to "The Green Ladder" case, which is documented on Sherlock's website.

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Goofs

Sherlock and Watson agree to meet at 7 p.m. to view the flat. When they get there, it's broad daylight. This is not quite possible in London unless it's summer, which, judging from the clothes they wear, is not.

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Quotes

[first lines]
Ella: How's your blog going?
Dr John Watson: Yeah, good. Very good.
Ella: You haven't written a word, have you?
Dr John Watson: You just wrote, "still has trust issues".
Ella: And you read my writing upside down. You see what I mean? John, you're a soldier, and it's going to take you a while to adjust to civilian life, and writing a blog about everything that happens to you will honestly help you.
Dr John Watson: Nothing happens to me.

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Connections

Version of Sherlock Holmes: The Case of the Cunningham Heritage (1954)

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Soundtracks

Opening Titles
(uncredited)
Written by David Arnold and Michael Price

User Reviews

Excellent episode that leaves you wanting more!

Absolutely fantastic episode in the series of Sherlock Holmes!

This series is a great remake of the original Holmes series and novels. The character Holmes is a complex, borderline insane man who loves solving crimes. With his new partner Dr. Watson, they participate in solving the murders happening around town in Central London. This leads to a lot of evidence, weird coincidences, and dangerous situations for both of the men.

I was rather skeptical before watching the episode but was left speechless in the end. The film was funny, exciting, and kept you on the edge of your chair at some points.

Benedict Cumberbatch, playing Sherlock Holmes, is a fantastic actor for this series and handles the character perfectly. His facial expressions are on point and his rude remarks concerning the CSI Anderson and Sergeant Donovan make the room fill with laughter. Holmes' mind is intriguing and his explanations of his discoveries leave you wanting more insight of his overactive mind.

I would definitely recommend this series to anyone who gets a kick out of crimes and solving them. It is a very enjoyable episode that makes you want to watch more. Suddenly, all your spare time will be spent on watching the nine episodes in the three seasons that right now have been aired.

Enjoy your life being taken away by Sherlock!